Effect of Modified Buerger-Allen Exercises on Physiological Leg Edema during the Third Trimester of Pregnancy

Background: The third trimester of pregnancy often leads to leg edema
that can cause discomfort, reduce mobility, and affect a woman's quality of
life. The Modified Buerger-Allen Exercise is a series of movements
designed to improve circulation and venous return, helping to reduce fluid
retention in the lower extremities. Aim: To assess effect of Modified
Buerger-Allen Exerciseson physiological leg edema during the3rd trimester
of pregnancy. Design: A quasi-experimental design as employed. Subjects
and Methods: Setting: The antenatal clinic of the National Medical
Institute atDamanhour, El-Beheira Governorate Egypt. Subjects: A
purposive sample of 90 pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria.
Tools: Four Instruments were employed. These included a structured
interview schedule for demographic and obstetric information, a chart to
assess the presence and severity of pitting edema, the non-elastic tap
measure and figure of eight measurement of ankle swelling. Results: At 10
days post-intervention, experimental group 1 showed a significant
reduction in edema severity and circumferences, with 26.7% of participants
improving to grade +1 edema and significant decreases in ankle and instep
circumferences. By 20 days, experimental group 2 demonstrated even
greater improvements, with 63.3% showing grade +1 edema and significant
reductions in ankle, instep, and metatarsal–phalanges joint circumferences
compared to the control group. Conclusion: Modified Buerger-Allen
exercises method is an effective, non-invasive method for managing edema
and enhancing maternal comfort. Recommendations: Modified Buerger-
Allen Exercisesshould be incorporated into prenatal care routines for
pregnant women particularly during the third trimester to manage leg
edema.